Arad's on the Rails
From horse-powered trams in 1869 to energy-efficient modern trams made right in the heart of the city, Arad continues its public transport legacy in 2024 and beyond with investments of €34 million.
Continuing a process that began in 2007, Arad has been awarded €34 million in 2024 to further invest in public transport, building on years of efforts to preserve one of the city’s iconic features.
Transport Heritage
In the 20th century, Arad was home to one of the most advanced transport networks in Eastern Europe. The first horse-drawn tram routes operated between 1869 and 1913, followed by the introduction of buses in 1908. The first electrical railway line was established in 1913, and Romania’s first car factory, the Johann Weitzer Factory for Cars, Wagons, and Ironworks, opened in 1891. It was succeeded by the M.A.R.T.A Factory in 1908, which evolved into today’s ASTRA Group. Altogether, this marks over 150 years of transport heritage.
Public transport in Arad primarily relies on two modes of transport: trams and buses. Between 1993 and 1995, the tram fleet underwent significant reparations and upgrades, with older German trams added until 2009, mostly through donations of older or retired models. However, despite regular maintenance, the system has struggled to keep up with evolving technology and public demands—this is particularly true for the tram network, which stretches across 67,720 km of tracks within the city.
These once revered ‘metal beasts’ have slowed down on an ageing infrastructure that poses safety risks without intervention. The trams also lack crucial accessibility features and have become noisy and uncomfortable for a city that is always on the move.
The city also faces the growing issue of people preferring motorised vehicles over public transport. A Traffic Study commissioned in 2024 found that during the 2021-2022 period, over 500 privately owned motorised vehicles were observed during peak hours on one of the busiest main routes shared with trams and buses.
Given these challenges, It is only natural that the city has decided to turn its attention to revitalising these ‘moving relics’.
Connected
The importance of public transport is central to the city’s current strategies. Arad’s 2021–2027 Integrated Urban Development Strategy, as well as the 2021-2027 Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, envision a connected and accessible city, positioning Arad as an ‘advocate for sustainable urban mobility boasting a modern and efficient transport infrastructure.’
Given that trams are the most widely used form of public transport, the city’s focus has primarily been on improving the tramway system. The strategies outline how to appeal to the public to encourage the use of trams for everyday transport by ensuring comfort, maintaining adequate frequency, and improving commercial speed. This will be achieved through three integrated types of projects:
- Upgrading the tram fleet;
- Upgrading the tramway infrastructure;
- Prioritising trams at intersections.
City of Arad
Upgrading the fleet
As of 2024, Arad’s tram fleet consists of green 16 Imperio trams, each with a capacity of around 300 passengers, along with 17 smaller Imperio Civitas trams, which can carry up to 120 passengers. All of these trams were acquired with the help of European funding, including grants from EBRD, €33 million from the former 2014–2021 Regional Operational Program (ROP), and €15 million from the current Romanian Recovery and Resilience Plan.
A larger project funded through the 2014–2021 ROP also introduced ten electrical buses, valued at €5 million.
By 2026, Arad foresees adding another batch of ten Imperio Civitas trams, valued at €15 million, after successfully securing funding through the West Regional Programme, the successor to the ROP dedicated to the Western region of Romania. These new trams will be equipped with the necessary technology to support the e-ticket solution, following the signing of the financing agreement in July 2024.
All Imperio trams feature a 100% low-floor design and meet the latest European standards and requirements. A key innovation is that each tram stores energy every time it brakes, making them energy-efficient and reducing the city’s carbon footprint. Even better, these trams are manufactured locally, bringing Arad’s transport heritage back into the spotlight.
With the introduction of these additional ten trams, the city estimates a 2% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2027, along with a decrease in car usage in areas served by the tram network.
Upgrading the tramway
Yet, these investments are not enough to position Arad’s Green Fleet as a truly viable option for transport, especially since the trams are incapable of operating at their full potential, mainly in terms of speed, without adequate infrastructure. Currently, only 41 km of tramway have been rehabilitated, which represents 60.54% of the total network.
The city secured approximately €23 million in funding through a mobility call under the ROP 2014–2021, which also included the implementation of a transport fleet management system and the e-ticket system introduced in 2022. The e-ticket system replaced old paper tickets with eCards and QR codes. Additionally, the fleet management system not only allows the transport operator to monitor the fleet mor efficiently, but also provides valuable information on the tram and bus movements to transport users, including arrival times, delays, and schedules updates, displayed on screens installed at every station.
The project also included the renovation of 3.2 km of tramway and contact lines.
In 2024, three new projects aimed at rehabilitating both the tracks and the contact lines were approved by the West Regional Programme, with a total investment of around €20 million. These projects target one of the most important transport hubs in the city (0,876 km), as well as a line that crosses under and above one of the City’s bridges (4,278 km and 3,038 km respectively), for a total of 8,192 km of rehabilitated tracks.
In addition to the tramways, 18 stations along the modernised tram lines will be equipped with awnings, ticket vending machines, and accessibility features such as ramps.
Completing these projects should enable trams to reach commercial speeds of over 20 km/h.
Green Friday
City of Arad
To further encourage car users to switch to public transport and give all citizens a chance to see for themselves the benefits of these investments, the city is currently promoting ‘Green Friday,’ offering free public transport for everyone every Friday.
While Arad acknowledges that these measures are not groundbreaking, especially by European standards, they have significantly improved not only public transport, but also the City’s image on a national level. In fact, Arad-made Imperio trams can now be seen in major Romanian cities like Bucharest, Timișoara, and Cluj-Napoca.
This initiative also serves as a reminder of Arad’s own roots, dating back to the 1870s when the current City Hall was built by the citizens, for the citizens. It reinforces the idea that anything is possible when a whole city brings its people together.
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About the authors:
Laura Bocancios, Officer, European Programmes Department, Municipality of Arad. Bocancios works in the projects department of Arad City Hall. She is involved in the design and implementation of EU-funded projects with a focus on promoting sustainable urban mobility.
Larisa Bucșa, Officer, European Programmes Department, Municipality of Arad. Bucșa works in the projects department of Arad City Hall. She is involved in the design and implementation of EU-funded projects with a focus on promoting sustainable urban mobility.
City of Arad